1. Filed of the Disclosure
The invention concerns a device for attaching a figurine onto a beverage bottle, a combination of such an attaching device and a figurine, as well as a beverage bottle with such a combination.
2. Description of Related Art
Figurines, also called “toppers” in English, are characters known from movies or television which are reproduced in a reduced form three-dimensionally in plastic, and are sold to promote the purchase of beverages, popcorn, cotton candy or similar in movie theatres and similar as one purchased unit together with the latter products. Hereby, the said products are offered in cups, the covers of which have a figurine. In order to attach the figurines, the cover that serves for closing the cup, optionally provided with an opening for a straw and manufactured by injection molding or deep drawing from plastics, during manufacture is provided with a cylindrical recess open toward the top into which a cylindrical base of the figurine can be inserted with a press fit. After consumption of the product, the figurine can be removed from the cover of the cup and used as a toy or collectible, whereby the solid base serves to improve the stability of the figurine placed on a support.
A cover for a beverage cup which has a recess in the middle for the base of such a figurine is disclosed, for example, in EP 2 105 388 A1.
However, particularly in connection with the sale of soft drinks, it is regarded as a disadvantage that the soft drink can only be offered in combination with such a figurine if it has first been poured into a cup whose cover is suitable for attaching a figurine. Besides the additional material used, the additional labor and the additional waste related to the pouring of the soft drink into the cup, soft drinks sold in a cup also lead more easily to a spilling of the remaining soft drink as a result of a tipping over of the mostly empty cup. Moreover, many clients prefer the consumption of soft drinks directly from a beverage bottle because the non-contamination of the contents before opening for the first time is ensured and after partial consumption there is again the possibility of resealing. The commercial figurines with cylindrical bases that are suitable for attachment to the cup covers however cannot be attached to the commonly used beverage bottles in such a way that on the one hand an aesthetic appearance of the product results and on the other hand it makes it clearly visible for the customer that the beverage bottle and the figurine form a joint sales unit.